STOP
FUNDING OF IRAQ WAR
Despite administration complaints about bad press, conditions in Iraq
are even worse, not better, than
the media reports. The State Department’s March report on the condition
of human rights in Iraq say it
best: “Bombings, executions, killings, kidnaping, shootings and
intimidation are a daily occurrence
throughout all regions and sectors of Iraqi society. An illustrative
list of these attacks could scarcely
reflect the broad dimension of the violence.” This reflects a situation
far more serious than the American
media has reflected because the media has not been able to leave the
Green Zone to cover it.
U.S. military statistics show that nearly eight times as many Iraqis
died last month in execution-style
sectarian killings as in terrorist bombings by insurgents, and tens of
thousands of civilians have fled from
their homes in mixed ethnic areas, while funds run out for medical
clinics and other unfinished rebuilding
projects. Meanwhile, still another memo shows Bush had decided to
invade Iraq early on.
With their failures in Iraq and Afghanistan (a failed, warlord,
narco-state that denies basic religious
freedoms and women’s rights), the same misguided voices now turn their
aggression toward Iran. It is
time to stop this madness.
ACTIONS
The U.S. Senate is set to vote to approve the supplemental spending
package for the current fiscal
year. This includes an additional $67.5 billion to fund the wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
This vote is scheduled to take place the week of April 24th.
Between now and then, the Senate is in
recess and U.S. Senators are back in their home states.
You are urged to take one or more of the following actions to halt
funding of the Iraq war:
1) Visit your Senators' offices to tell them to vote against all war
funding. Bring as many people with
you as possible. Don't let their staff tell them that you need an
appointment and don't call ahead to try to
schedule an appointment between now and April 24. It normally takes
weeks to schedule an
appointment with a staff member (let alone a Senator). There is no time
to wait this long. It is infinitely
more important that Senators know that there is a steady stream of
constituents coming to their offices
to demand an end to the war than it is to follow proper protocol.
2) Call your Senators' offices daily to tell them to vote against all
war funding.
3) Write a letter to your Senators' offices telling them to vote
against all war funding. Fax your letter to
your Senators' offices, don’t email or mail them. Because of mail
screening at the mailroom in
Congress, your Senators won't see your letter till long after the vote
if you mail it.
4) Maintain a public vigil outside your Senators' offices. Have signs
and flyers with your Senators' office
phone numbers to let passers-by know how to call to tell their
Senators' to vote against war funding
and the supplemental spending bill.
5) Engage in civil disobedience at your Senators' offices demanding
that they vote against war funding
Civil disobedience directed at Senators who give lip service to ending
the war (while voting for never
ending funding for the never ending war) is perhaps more important than
civil disobedience directed at
Senators who will vote for each and every war, weapons system, military
budget, etc. that comes their
way. But every Senator voting for war should be held accountable
via acts of lobbying, political
pressure and civil disobedience.
You can find address, phone and fax information for your Senators by
using one of the following
resources:
1) U.S. Senate Website (http://www.senate.gov)
2) Friends Committee on National Legislation website (http://www.fcnl.org)
3) Calling the Congressional switchboard at 1-202-224-3121. The
switchboard will connect you to
your Senators' office in Washington, D.C. and you can ask the staff
member there for relevant contact
information. While on the line with this office, tell the Senators'
staff that you are opposed to funding the
war in Iraq.